Idly browsing through the latest fluffy animal videos and reading about why even one workout will lengthen your life (another desperate plea for us to get off our derrieres), I come across what I presume is another funny Onion article. Apparently Amazon, our favorite book and everything else online emporium, thinks it can to ship things to you before you even know that you want them. But no it's not the Onion, it's the New York Times. And several other sites confirm it to be true. It's called anticipatory shipping. Doesn't trip off the tongue but describes exactly what it is. So there you are sitting at your desk or eating breakfast or whatever and the door bell goes. UPS has left you something - you open it up and there it is - that new book or bag of pet food that you want but hadn't thought about yet. Or a gift for your sister or mother - exactly what they wanted and just before their special day. Good for you - you'll get brownie points for being on time with a present they really love. This could really enhance your life. Either that or your relatives will be creeped out by the new you.
I ask my friends on Facebook what they think - is it scary or just the logical extension of what Amazon is doing anyway, and not scary. The overwhelming response (both of them) is that it's not scary. "So you're telling me if I hover over a new book release, I just might get it in the mail? AWESOME!" one person says. Maybe everyone is so used to their shopping and browsing habits being recorded it's just inevitable that something like this is going to come along.
Do I care that someone else knows more about me than maybe I do? Yes and no. Companies like amazon have always had this type of data, the difference now being that it's now much easier to collate and draw conclusions about. If it gives me an advantage then great! But equally I worry about data being bandied around without respect. I hope that the data is being protected because I don't want someone stealing from my bank account. I am also a bit wary of people being persuaded to spend more money than they would normally. After all amazon needs people to spend money to keep their profits coming in.
The other thing I wonder is - what is next for amazon? We know they're considering delivery by drones. What about smart packaging? I want my packages to unwrap themselves or have the packaging dissolve so I don't have to break up the box and dispose of it myself. Or maybe the opposite will happen - they'll hand deliver and then take away the packaging for me? Or the drones will deliver stuff unwrapped and ready to go? Creepy or not amazon is certainly pushing the boundaries.
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